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Day 1:
We fly to Corrientes city airport. We head south toward Estancia Batel (two-hour drive), a typical Corrientes cattle ranch with over 3,000 head of Brahman-cross cattle. Beneath one of the huge timbó trees in the 2-hectare park shaded by lapacho and jacaranda trees we will have lunch followed by a refreshing siesta. This is gaucho country, and gauchos enjoy showing visitors all their colorful horsemanship and skills at herding and roping cattle. We drive to Estancia Rincón del Socorro (three-hour drive), a 12,000-hectare former cattle ranch on the edge of the Iberá wetlands that has been made into a nature reserve. Half of the trip is on a good paved road and the rest on an unpaved dirt road where, by driving slowly in the late afternoon, we are sure to spot capybaras, jaguarundis, deer and lots of birds. Dinner in the main house at Hostería Rincón del Socorro, a small, refined eco-tourist hotel.
Overnight at Rincón del Socorro Ranch - Lunch / Dinner
Day 2:
This is ideal horseback riding country and guests are encouraged to give it a try even if they're not seasoned riders. From the saddle you can see lots of wildlife; riding is the quickest, easiest and most pleasant way to get to know this ecosystem. The horses are well-behaved and the guides competent. Rincón del Socorro is an excellent place for birding; if you are not already a birdwatcher, it is very easy to become one here! In the four different habitats of this large former ranch, you can see an amazing number of different types of birds in a short time, including endangered species from the surrounding region that have found shelter here. You will learn about their behavior, habitats, migrations, and the problems caused by the degradation of their environment.
Overnight at Rincón del Socorro Ranch - Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Day 3:
The Estancia offers boat trips. Groups must be small (no more than six people); if necessary there may be several trips per day. The boat trip begins at the far end of the ranch 35 kilometers northeast of the hostería; it takes about 30 minutes to get there by car. Most guests prefer to make these trips in the early morning or early evening, when more animals are about. The actual boat ride takes 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on conditions and guest preferences. After a morning outing, a barbeque lunch is served beside the boat dock, weather permitting. Good wildlife watching is possible right by the barbeque area for those who would rather relax there and wait for the others to return in the boat. Relaxation options at Rincón del Socorro include a swimming pool, walks of any duration, a good library, comfortable reading areas, a DVD/video library and card-game areas. Children have a game room.
Overnight at Rincón del Socorro Ranch - Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Day 4:
We leave the hostería after breakfast and drive north toward Estancia Santa Inés or Estancia Santa Cecilia in southern Misiones (four-hour drive). Driving along the southern edge of the Iberá wetlands, we pass through Carlos Pellegrini, a village that 20 years ago was home to a handful of poachers. There is a visitors' center, and a trekking path in a forest that is home to a small community of howler monkeys. The last 80/110 km of the trip are on a good paved road that affords beautiful views of gentle rolling hills covered with green yerba and tea plantations that contrast with the rich red earth characteristic of this area. Silvia Nosiglia de Navajas, our hostess at Santa Cecilia, will have lunch ready for us. Estancia Santa Cecilia is a good place for enthusiastic equestrians and people who are interested in lifestyles, history, or just a good rest. Guests can accompany the gauchos on cattle drives, or go on a long guided horseback ride to the hills for a view out over the Paraná River and the southern grasslands over lunch, followed by a leisurely return to the main house in time for a dip in the pool before tea.
Overnight at Santa Cecilia Ranch - Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Day 5:
After breakfast, we depart for Puerto Iguazú, gateway to the famous waterfalls of the same name. Sixty kilometers past Posadas, we will stop at the ruins of the San Ignacio Miní mission built by the Jesuits in the mid-16th century. The mission was one of 30 towns that the Jesuits set up for the Guaraní Indians in a region that is now shared by Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. In 1732 their population totaled 141,182. The towns broke up following the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767, and the Portuguese and Paraguayan invasion of 1816-1819. Today, the best-preserved ruins of six of the Jesuit missions located in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil - which form "La ruta de las misiones jesuíticas" - are open to tourists. At San Ignacio Miní we can still admire the remains of the church built in colonial Baroque style; the priests' quarters, the school and the workshops. On the other side of the main square are the single women's quarters, and the cemetery. After lunch at San Ignacio, we drive the last stretch of our trip on Route 12, where the struggle between man and the jungle is painfully evident; piles of timber left by loggers are constantly eating into what is left of the native forests. The spaces left by the loggers are occupied by tobacco and yerba plantations in which occasional solitary araucarias and lapacho trees - protected by law - stand out in the decimated landscape. Late in the afternoon, we arrive at the hotel.
Overnight at Sheraton International Iguazú Hotel - Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Day 6:
Today we visit the majestic Argentine falls and the Iguazú National Park, declared World Natural Heritage. We walk on the upper trails above the waterfalls, and the lower trails, at the feet and among the waterfalls, having an experience of being and feeling part of the natural environment. We visit the "Devil's Throat" up to its balcony, appreciating it in its full splendor. We ship on a Zodiac boat to enjoy the "Great River Adventure". In the afternoon we enjoy a jungle experience in the Iguazú Forest: walking, 4x4 ride, canopy and much more. We return to the hotel.
Overnight at Sheraton International Iguazú Hotel - Breakfast / Dinner
Day 7:
We visit the Brazilian falls and we transfer to the airport.
Breakfast
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Services Included
• Transfers in/out.
• Internal transfers.
• 6 nights accommodation according to the itinerary.
• Meals as per details.
• Expert guides.
• Activities detailed in the itinerary.
• Full equipment for all activities.
• Coordination.
Recommended Gear
Expect rain at any time. Average annual rainfall is 1200 mm in Corrientes and 1500 mm in Misiones. Thunderstorms are common.
Sunscreen and mosquito repellant are musts. Bring a rain jacket and light sweater in summer and a heavy sweater in winter, as well as good walking shoes. Rubber boots are necessary for walking near the marshes or during rainy days. For riding, boots or shoes with leggings are ideal. Don't forget a small daypack-for-outings.
The province of Corrientes is in a subtropical climate zone. Spring and fall temperatures tend to be moderate. Summer is usually hot, although there are "nice" dry hot days with temperatures ranging from 25º C to 30º C. In winter (June-September), the most popular season, temperatures average 20º C, with highs of 28º C to 30º C, and nightime lows of -0º C.
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El Socorro Ranch
Esteros del Iberá (Iberá Wetlands)
Corrientes
www.rincondelsocorro.com
Description: Estancia Rincón del Socorro is a 12,000-hectare former cattle ranch that has been turned into a nature reserve. Its orientation is to give guests and visitors a good understanding of the local ecosystem and an appreciation of the importance of wetlands and savanna landscapes.
Hostería Rincón del Socorro is a small, refined eco-tourist hotel in the main house of the ranch.
There are six rooms in the main house and three small bungalows within 50 meters of it, all with private bathrooms and one with a sitting room. The main house has a large indoor living room, a screened veranda living room, a large indoor dining room, a terrace dining area, and a children's game room. On the grounds are a swimming pool, a screened barbecue house, and a barn with tack room from which all our rides depart.
Meals are predominantly prepared with organic fruit and vegetables, most from our kitchen garden. Meat is all free-range. The hostería is equipped with a professional kitchen and offers a full bar service. We specialize in fine cuisine and honor the Argentine barbecue tradition. When the weather is good, lunch and dinner can be served outdoors.
Santa Cecilia Ranch
Candelaria
Misiones
Description: Santa Cecilia Ranch is located in Candelaria which is the ancient capital of the Jesuit Missions. It is on the banks of the Paraná river. The Ranch homestead was built in 1908. It is surrounded by large verandas overlooking the river and the wonderful park with a hundred years old trees. The cool, elegant two-story house has six spacious high-ceilinged rooms that offer views of the park and river.
The cuisine is exquisite. Hostess Silvia prepares delicious international dishes for lunch or dinner and spectacular breakfasts featuring fresh local fruit, several cakes and delectable regional specialties made with manioc flour. The personnel and many of the customs of this 9,000-hectare cattle ranch are from Corrientes, a province where the Navajas family has other ranches.
Sheraton Hotel
Iguazú National Park
Misiones
www.cataratasdeliguazu.net/
sheraton_iguazu.htm
Description: The Sheraton Hotel is located in the Iguazú National Park, a few steps away from the Iguazú Falls and in front of the "Devil's Throat". The rooms offer a private balcony, cable TV and a mini refrigerator. Large facilities for conventions, a swimming pool, a tennis court, restaurants.
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